The Long Road to Happily Ever After
by JasmineHR
Summary: Rick and Evie have obstacles to overcome; an overprotective brother, greedy treasure hunters, and a stranger (to them, but not us!). But is the stranger a threat to the three or competition for Rick? Or both? R&R!
1. The Journey Begins

DISCLAIMER: The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and it's characters belong to Stephen Sommers and Universal Pictures. Any characters you do not recognize belong to me, so please don't use them without my permission.

AN: This is my first attempt at writing a story. Some friends convinced me to try one on my own, so here it is! Please review, and please be nice! )

SUMMARY: Rick, Evie, and Jonathan head back home. Rick has to clear up his past so that he can start a future with Evie.

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Chapter 1: The Start of the Journey

_Takes places right after The Mummy ends. Our heroes are riding their camels through the desert on their way back to Cairo._

Egypt 1926

_Hell of a day_, Rick thought to himself. He looked down at the woman who had fallen asleep leaning against him. He tightened his arms around her and smiled. At least it had ended well. Rick looked to the camel beside him to see how his other traveling companion was fairing.

Jonathan was hunched forward, lightly snoring away. Rick felt a pang of jealousy that the two were fast asleep. He couldn't wait to get back to Cairo. He felt as if he could sleep for a week straight, and hell, why shouldn't he? It's not as if he had any life to return to. He had had nothing... until he met Evelyn. She had become his everything.

Rick watch the last of the setting sun disappear as if it were sinking into the desert sand. His eyelids were getting heavy. The camels were beginning to slow down and grumble, also in need of a rest. The night air brought with it a chill. In sleep, Evelyn burrowed deeper into Rick's chest for warmth. He looked at his surroundings. Nothing but sand all around. The terrain hadn't changed much. Here would be as good a place as any to get a good nights sleep. He pulled on the reigns to halt his camel.

"Woe there." Jonathan's camel had kept going and had just caught up when Rick grabbed the reigns from Jonathan's hand and gave a slight tug.

Jonathan's head shot up and he opened one eye to look at the person that had disturbed his dreams. "What's all this then?" he mumbled, still half asleep.

"Time to set up camp for the night," Rick responded.

Jonathan grumbled at being woken up. "I was doing just fine sleeping up here." He closed his eyes again.

Rick rolled his eyes and gave the reigns another tug, causing the camel to rear up a little. Jonathan became fully awake and threw his arms around the camel to keep from falling to the desert sand onto his head or arse.

Evelyn awoke to the rumbling of Rick's chest as he laughed. She sat up, slightly blushing at finding herself in such a close embrace with Rick and looked to Jonathan. "Jonathan, what are you doing to that camel? You're strangling the poor thing." Rick went into another fit of laughter.

Jonathan straightened up in the saddle while scowling at Rick and looked to Evie. "Your boyfriend here thought it would be funny to give me a rude awakening."

At the word 'boyfriend' Rick stopped laughing and Evie began shifting in the saddle and looked down to the sand hoping that neither saw her blush of embarrassment. Jonathan eyed the two and rolled his eyes.

"Er, let's get our camp set up for the night," Rick said to break the uncomfortable silence.

He jumped down from the camel and placed his hands on Evie's waist to help her down. She placed her hands on his shoulders for support and was lifted down to the desert floor as if she weighed no more than a feather. They stood there, her hands still on his shoulders, his on her waist, gazing into each other's eyes.

Jonathan had climbed off his camel and was untying one of the sleeping mats when he noticed the dead silence. _What the devil is going on?_ he thought to himself. He turned around with concern written all over his face to make sure the other two hadn't disappeared into thin air. His brotherly instincts kicked in and his concern turned into annoyance at what he saw.

Rick lifted a hand from Evie's waist to brush away the stray hair that had partially fallen over one of her eyes. The palm of his hand came to rest on her cheek as he began to learn towards her. Evie's heart quickened and butterflies began forming in her stomach when Rick's gaze had gone to her lips and she knew he was going kiss her again. She slowly raised herself to her toes and began leaning forward as she closed her eyes, ready for his kiss.

"For the love of Horus!" Jonathan bellowed.

Rick snapped to attention and caught Evie as she almost fell forward.

"What?" Rick shoved Evie behind him to shield her and pulled his gun out of it's holster, ready to shoot the scorpion or snake, or whatever it was that had Jonathan all riled up. "What is it Jonathan? What's the problem?"

"It's you that I have a problem with! This lovey dovey thing between you and my sister is going too far! It's highly inappropriate to be carrying on in such a way with an innocent civilized woman; especially for a man of your background-"

Evie came around to stand between Rick and her brother. "Gentlemen, I-"

Rick slammed his gun back in his holster and placed his hands on his hips. "What the hell do you mean by 'man of my background'?"

Evie tried again. "Now boys-"

"Oh you know what I mean! You and I, we have the same history when it comes to women. That's why, unlike you, I keep away from the innocent ones. I don't want to see my baby sister get hurt."

"Jonathan, really, I-" Evie began again only to be interrupted.

"Yah? We may have the same history, but that's in the past! A man can change, you know!"

"And how do I know your intentions towards my sister are good when you can't seem to keep your hands to yourself and-"

"BOYS!" Evie was getting to her wits end.

They immediately shut their mouths and stared at the woman who's voice had overpowered their own loud argument.

"Jonathan, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I'm a big girl now. I can make my own decisions."

"We'll talk about this some other time, Jonathan. Evelyn, sweetheart, why don't you take the mat from Jonathan and have a seat while us men set up camp," Rick patted Evie on the back and turned to start unloading.

Evie's temper snapped and she turned towards Rick to unleash her anger. "Don't you ever talk to me in such a fashion again! Just because I am a woman does not mean I am incapable of unloading a camel and setting up camp!" She stormed past him and began unknotting and yanking on the ropes. The men stared at her with their jaws dropped.

"Now you've done it," Jonathan mumbled to Rick.

"You're no better, Jonathan!" Evie yelled.

She continued yanking and unknotting. She loosened a bed mat and tossed it with force at Rick. He caught it before it hit him in the face.

"I don't know which of you two is worse!"

One of the tent materials came loose and she tossed it with force at Jonathan. Unfortunately, he lacked Rick's reflexes and the material unfolded and draped over his head as he only caught a part of it. She began working on a particularly knotted rope.

"Of all the people to be stuck out in the desert with-"

Her words stopped as she finally got the knot undone and the rope was yanked from her hands due to the weight of the bags that the rope held in place. She looked down at the bag now laying on the desert floor and gasped. Some of the contents of the bag had spilled out in front of her.

"Sweet Jesus." Rick was now standing next to Evie. She bent down and picked up an oval shaped box of some sort and turned it in her hand, watching the moon light glint off of it.

"What is it?" Jonathan asked, finally struggling out of the tent material and walking to Rick's side.

Rick gave Jonathan a good smack on the back. "It looks as if you're not going home empty handed after all."


	2. The Meaning of Treasure

DISCLAIMER: The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and it's characters belong to Stephen Sommers and Universal Pictures

AN: Thanks for the reviews! After several months, I finally got the time to start on Chapter 2, and I just now got up the nerve to post it! Please be nice in your reviews! This is my first Fanfic! )

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Chapter 2:

Jonathan stared at the bags of gold and jewels with his mouth agape. He fell to his knees and a huge grin spread across his face as he started rummaging through the bags.

"Look at all this!" Jonathan practically squealed in delight. "Either I'm dreaming, or someone up there really likes me! Ouch!" Jonathan rubbed his pinched arm and glared up at Rick.

"Well I'll be damned," Rick smirked. "Someone DOES like you!"

"Oh, you two!" Evie shook her head. "Really. You'd think two grown men would be a bit more civilized." She knelt down next to Jonathan to get a better look. "We need to decide what we are going to do with all this."

"Well, that's easy! Rick was just saying earlier today, in a round about way mind you, that he has his treasure." Jonathan looked pointedly at his sister, who began blushing once again. "I believe his exact words were-"

"Thank you, Jonathan," Rick interrupted between gritted teeth. "I'm sure your sister and I remember what I said. Is there a point to this or are you just trying to embarrass the hell out of your sister?"

"Alright, alright. My point is this. You two found your treasure in each other, therefore it would only be fair for me to have all this," he swept his hands out gesturing to the bags, "as my treasure!"

Rick crossed his arms and glared at Jonathan. "Nice try."

"Yah, figured it wouldn't work, but what's the harm in trying, eh?" he grinned innocently.

Evie rolled her eyes. "Well, we are getting nowhere fast. It's simple, really. Three bags, three of us. We each get one." She put her hand up as Jonathan opened his mouth to protest. "I'm sure each has about the same value in treasure."

She gazed at the treasure thoughtfully. "How do you suppose these bags got here anyway?"

"I'm guessing my late buddy Beni decided it was a good time to collect his reward for his troubles and get out while Imhotep was busy with his chanting session. Looks like we owe our thanks to the little weasel." Rick paused. "Comes to think of it, he owed us big time, so I guess we're even."

Evie gave a short nod of agreement and began packing the scattered pieces back into the bags.

"Let's just get these bags back on to the camels," said Rick.

"No, no!" Jonathan rushed to one of the bags and blocked it from Rick. "My bag stays with me."

"Oh honestly, Jonathan. We're in the middle of the desert. No harm will come to your treasure during the night. It will be right here on the camel within a few feet from our tents."

"Jonathan crossed his arms and stuck his chin up a notch. "No. Mine stays with me. I don't want to take any risks."

Rick put a hand on Evie's shoulder as a silent gesture that he'd take care of this. "That's perfectly fine, Jonathan. As long as you understand that you'll be moving that bag around on your own."

Jonathan beamed and bent down to grab the bag. The bloody thing weighed a ton! He grabbed it with both hands, dug his feet into the ground and gave a yank. This accomplished three things. One, the bag moved about two feet. Two, a bruised tailbone from landing hard on his arse as he lost the grip on the bag, and three, a blow to his ego as Rick chuckled and Evie tried to disguise her laughter as a coughing fit.

"I've changed my mind," Jonathan said as he rubbed his sore bottom and acted as if the whole thing didn't happen. "I'll just be taking this," he grabbed a gold scepter elaborately carved and encrusted with jewels, "and the rest can be tied back on the camel."

Rick shrugged and without a word, he swaggered over, tied the bag, lifted it in one hand, and had it tied to the camel in a minute flat.

"Show off," muttered Jonathan.

Rick and Jonathan worked on the last few details of getting the large tent set up and rechecking everything while Evie set up the three bed rolls and laid blankets out. As soon as she finished, she plopped down on the last bedroll and fell asleep as soon as her head touched the mat. A few minutes later, Rick and Jonathan entered the tent and both smiled as they saw her fast asleep.

Jonathan yawned. "Goodnight, chap. I'm beat!"

"Until dawn," said Rick making it sound as if getting up at dawn would be pure joy.

Rick took a step towards the middle mat intending to sleep next to Evie, but came to a halt as Jonathan rushed past him, jumped into the middle bedroll, said another quick goodnight, and was snoring all in a record ten seconds; his new scepter clutched to his chest as if it were a teddy bear.

Rick frowned and grumbled as he dragged his feet to the last mat the furthest from Evie. He'd just have to use his body-heat-will-keep-us-warmer excuse to get close to Evie another time. Jonathan wouldn't always be around to keep them apart. Would he? With one last grumble, Rick fell asleep.

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_AN: Yes, I know it's short, but I've gotta get to bed and this is a good stopping point. I do have quite a bit more, however, it needs fixing up. But no worries! I'll have it posted soon!_


	3. Plans for the Treasure

DISCLAIMER: The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and it's characters belong to Stephen Sommers and Universal Pictures

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Chapter 3:

The ever-so-pleasant pain of stiff muscles woke Jonathan. He half-opened one eye and was staring at a tan-colored material. Where was he? His mind cleared of sleepy haze and he remembered. Ah yes. He was in the middle of the bloody desert. He rubbed a sore spot on the side of his rib cage where he had been holding the scepter. The scepter! He sat up, trying to ignore the pain in his muscles from the sudden movement. Where was it? He looked around and found it lying beside him on Evie's folded blanket. She must have placed it there when she found him half lying on it. He grabbed the scepter and hugged it to him.

"Good morning my precious, beautiful scepter!" he said as he gave it a smacking kiss, then began shining it with a corner of his blanket.

He froze as he just realized that Evie was gone. Before he even looked to the mat on his other side, he knew Rick would be gone as well. Jonathan panicked. How long had they been gone? What were they up to? He jumped out of bed, ignoring the pain of his stiff muscles, held up the scepter in case he needed to use it to beat the living daylights out of a certain American, and stomped out of the tent.

Rick and Evie sat side to side sharing a blanket. Rick's arm was around Evie and she rested her head on his shoulder as they quietly talked and watched the sunrise. Jonathan let out the breath he'd been holding, put his scepter in his belt as if it were a sword, and ran his hand through his hair.

Rick was a good man. He really had nothing to worry about, although he would still keep an eye on the two of them. He walked over and sat down next to Evie.

"Good morning, sleepy-head," Evie said in a sing-song voice.

"We didn't want to disturb you, so we thought we'd give you a few more minutes of sleep," said Rick.

"Ah, yes. How thoughtful of you. And here I thought you had let me sleep because you two didn't want to be disturbed."

"Damn. I guess you're too smart for us. We didn't want to tell you that and hurt your feelings," Rick said as Evie laughed at their bantering.

Jonathan smiled at Rick's quick wit. "So, what's the plan?"

"Rick and I have been discussing the treasure. We've agreed that it would be best not to mention our little adventure-"

"Little?" Rick raised his eyebrows.

"Big, huge, enormous, life-changing adventure. Is that better Mr. O'Connell? Now don't you interrupt me again," he chuckled as she shook her finger at him like a mother to a naughty child. "As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted," she elbowed Rick, "We've agreed that it would be best not to mention our BIG," she looked pointedly at Rick, then back to Jonathan, "adventure to anyone and to be as discreet as possible as to where we obtained the treasure. I can have the find documented anonymously, but if anyone were to learn that we've been to Hamunaptra, someone may try to force one of us to show them the way. Every treasure hunter has heard of Hamunaptra and the stories claiming that it holds the wealth of Egypt."

Jonathan sighed. "I supposed you're right, ol' mum. Truth be told, I was looking forward to the fame as well as the fortune, but what good is a fortune if you end up dead?"

"My sentiments exactly," said Rick. "We can sell a few items for supplies and travel expenses. Evie was saying she knows some people involved with both the British and Cairo Museums. They can inform their trusted associates over at Bembridge and they'll take it from there. Then, we're off to England."

Jonathan lifted an eyebrow. "We? As in you're going to England as well?"

"Yes!" said Evie excitedly. "Rick was planning on moving to England as soon as he could cover the expenses for the trip. Isn't that a coincidence?"

At this, Jonathan's other eyebrow shot up in line with the first. "Do tell!" He wasn't fooled. He knew that Rick planned this after meeting Evie and that he would undoubtedly follow her to the ends of the Earth.

Rick scowled and changed the subject. "Evie tells me that the both of you were also working on getting the cash together to move back to your childhood home."

"Yes. We've had no choice but to live in Egypt, not that we don't like it here. You see, our parents would bring us to Egypt a few times a year to work on some digs or to make new discoveries. We usually would go with them to the actual sites, but the last time-" Jonathan's voice took on a sad tone as he continued. "The last time, I overheard my mum saying that she had a bad feeling, so they decided to leave us in Cairo under the care of a good friend of theirs. Turns out mum had had great foresight."

Evie picked up the story. "We were too young at the time to collect the inheritance, so some distant relatives conned their way into getting it. They even got the house."

"So to summarize it," continued Jonathan, "we were raised by the same woman our parents had left us in care of. Dr. Bey, God rest him, was a good friend of our parents and took it upon himself to school us, especially in the subject of Egyptology."

"We decided we would earn enough money to move back home. As soon as we were old enough, we started working for Dr. Bey. Well, Jonathan would sometimes work, but he had the bad habit of spending most of it on drink, gambling-"

"Ah Evie, you're getting off subject," mumbled Jonathan.

"Right, sorry about that." She patted Jonathan's knee. "As I was saying, we decided to save up so that one day, we would be able to travel back to England and buy back our childhood home. A very outlandish dream, but now," she looked to the bags of treasure on the camel, "it seems we will be getting our wish."

"I'm really glad to hear that," Rick said in all honesty. He looked at the rising sun, judging the time. "We'll all have to chat some more about our pasts sometime. For now, we've gotta hit the trail."


	4. The Apparition and the Stranger

DISCLAIMER: The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and it's characters belong to Stephen Sommers and Universal Pictures

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Chapter 4:

The three had prepared themselves for the chaos that they were sure to find on their return to Cairo but they were not prepared to find the place looking as if nothing major had taken place. The marketplace near the museum was bustling and not one boil or sore could be seen.

They dismounted, took the camels by the reigns, and walked to the spot where Dr. Bey had been crushed to death by Imhotep's mob. They gave a moment of silence, thanking him for sacrificing his life to save theirs. Evie and Jonathan were particularly saddened by the loss of this man who had been a father figure and had helped to make sure they were taken care of in every way, especially with their schooling.

They headed for the Cairo Museum in continued silence. After tying the camel's reigns, Rick untied the three bags of treasure and swung two of them over his shoulder. Jonathan and Evie carried in the third bag.

"You gentlemen stay here with the bags," Evie motioned to the entryway, "and I'll see if I can find someone."

Evie headed towards the offices, marveling at how quickly everything had been put in order. She frowned and shook her head when she noticed some pieces were missing. They'd probably been damaged or destroyed when Imhotep's mob had come in after them.

She entered the research and reference library, which was still in disarray. The shelves had been set up properly, but the thousands of books were set in piles everywhere. Leave it to clumsy Evelyn to make a mess that would take five times longer to clean up than the mess of an entire mob.

Evie was so lost in thought that she did not hear someone come up behind her. She turned and her heart leapt into her throat when she nearly collided with what must surely be an apparition. She could feel the blood leave her face and she was sure she would have screamed and passed out if not for the courage she had gained, thanks to her recent skirmish with Imhotep and his minions.

"D...Dr. Bey?" she stuttered, reaching out her hand to see if he was real.

The man gave her hand a reassuring pat as he gave her a kind smile.

"Yes, my child. I am Dr. Bey, though not the one you are thinking of. I am Joseph, Terrence's brother. We were but a year apart in age, and as you have noticed, we looked very much alike."

Evie put a hand over her racing heart feeling both saddened that it wasn't really Dr. Terrence Bey and relief that she was not dealing with another supernatural being.

"I see." She looked him over once more and did notice some slight differences in their features. "Dr. Bey, your brother I mean, never mentioned that he had any family-" She broke off realizing that what she had just said was highly inappropriate.

"Oh my," she tried her best to correct her rudeness. "I'm terribly sorry. I meant- Well I'm sure he must have- I mean-"

"It is all right my dear," he said patting her hand once again. "I know by brother never spoke of his family. It was part of the Med-jai code put in place to ensure the safety of the warrior's loved ones."

Evie smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you for the reassurance. Forgive me, but I haven't introduced myself. I'm-"

"Miss Evelyn Carnahan, I know. My brother sang his praises of you. He said you were the best librarian in all of Egypt, if not the world." He smiled as she looked a little startled with this revelation. "My brother was not good with giving compliments, I am afraid."

Evelyn's eyes shone with tears. "I really do miss him. He taught me a great deal about Egypt's history. He also had great patience for my clumsiness." She waved her hand at the stacks of books everywhere as evidence of her most recent mishap.

Joseph raised his eyebrows as he looked around the room. "You mean you did this? I had thought the angry mob had unleashed their fury right here in this very room." He bit down on his bottom lip to keep from laughing as she blushed with embarrassment. "Oh, but do not worry. This sort of thing happens all the time in libraries."

"Really?" said Evie in complete surprise.

"No, not really." He burst out laughing as her jaw dropped.

Evie lightly swatted his arm as she laughed. "Oh, you are a beastly man!"

Their laughing subsided and there was a bit of uncomfortable silence, which Joseph was quick to dispel.

"Miss Carnahan-"

"Please, call me Evelyn."

"In that case, Evelyn, I must insist that you call me Joseph. Now then, would you be interested in taking up your position again here? I need someone to help me organize this library and I hear that no one else within a thousand miles can properly code and catalog this library." He winked.

Evie's heart filled with joy as she recalled saying those words to Dr. Bey. He really had been proud of her.

"I would be delighted to. I am, after all, the mastermind behind this catastrophe. Though it would be a temporary post seeing as I am planning on moving back to England." All joking aside, she looked him straight in the eye and continued. "It's the least I can do. I feel as if I am to blame for your brother's death. If I hadn't have insisted on going to Haman-"

"My dear child! Surely you do not blame yourself!" Joseph quickly interrupted and took a step closer to her so he could speak in a quieter voice. "Evelyn, what's done is done. It was bound to happen at some point. It was fate, for you and your associates had the courage, knowledge, and strength that was required to put an end to this curse." He lowered his voice even more. "Be careful when you speak of that place, my dear. The walls have ears." He gave a discreet nod towards the open door of his office.

Evie looked passed Joseph's shoulder in the direction of the main office and noticed for the first time a man whom she'd never seen before.

He was standing with his hands in his pocket and appeared to be studying a painting on the wall. She only had a viewpoint of his profile, but from what she could see, he appeared to be a scholarly man, most likely an archeologist.

He wore a brown suit and a pair of glasses. His dark brown hair was trimmed short and neatly brushed back. He was a tall man and appeared to be well built, but by his neat and tidy appearance, she guessed he was the type of archeologist who stood by the sidelines and instructed others on where to dig and what to do, though his tan complexion proved he didn't go as far as to shade himself under an umbrella, like the late Dr. Chamberlain.

She came to an obvious conclusion simply by his appearance.

"American?"

Joseph smiled. "Precisely. Stubborn, persistent, and to be perfectly blunt, a pain in the ass."

As if right on cue, Rick walked into the room.

"Speaking of." Evie began.

Rick gave a long whistle as he looked around the room. "Wow. What happened in here?" Rick looked towards Evie and the back of the person she had been talking to. The man turned toward him. Rick paused and unconsciously placed his right hand on one of his guns.

Evie's cheeks turned red with embarrassment and she avoided answering Rick's question. "Rick, this is Dr. Bey, the new curator. Joseph, this is Rick O'Connell. He's, ah-" What exactly was he to her? "an acquaintance of mine," she continued lamely.

Rick extended his hand in greeting. "Great to meet ya. You remind me of someone I met once," Rick said in an attempt to apologize for reaching for his gun.

"Yes, I seem to be getting a lot of that today."

"So, You're the new curator?" Rick asked.

"Yes, for the time being. I am here until they have found a permanent qualifying person to fill the position."

"I see. Well Dr. Bey, it's been fun, but it's been a long day and we've gotta run. Evie, I'll be up front. Your brother is acting like everyone's out to get his treasure and I'd hate to see him thrown in jail for beating someone senseless with that damn gold stick of his."

Evie shushed him and nodded towards the office. "Quiet," she whispered. "Joseph has someone in his office. And besides, it is not a gold stick. It's called a scepter."

"My apologies, oh All Knowing One." Rick smirked and gave an exaggerated bow. He said a final goodbye to Dr. Bey. On his way out, he took a discrete glace towards the office and put the man's profile to memory, a trait that he'd learned through necessity as a young boy. His instincts told him he'd have to watch out for that man.

"Joseph, I believe we may add arrogant and aggravating to that list."


	5. Jonathan's Antics, Stranger's Plans, and...

DISCLAIMER: The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and it's characters belong to Stephen Sommers and Universal Pictures

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Chapter 5:

Evie caught up with Rick as they headed back to the entry. Rick offered her his arm and she took it smiling. She told him a little of her conversation with Joseph Bey and promised to give full details when Jonathan was present.

They walked slower than usual, taking advantage of having each other to themselves without Jonathan's hen pecking.

As they rounded the corner, they nearly collided with an old woman who appeared to be in a rush.

"Oh my heavens!" said the old woman. "I'm so sorry my dears. I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention."

"It's perfectly alright," Evie reassured.

"Everything okay?" Rick asked noticing the old woman was a little skittish.

"I'm fine, yes. The man at the front gave me a start. I was rushing off to find a security guard." She leaned in closer to whisper. "I think he's mad!"

Rick disguised his laugh as a cough. Evie glared at her brother, who was pacing back and forth in front of the bags like a soldier keeping guard, scowling at anyone who looked his way.

Evie smiled at the lady. "Oh, there's no need to be getting the security. He may be a little touched in the head, but he wouldn't hurt a fly."

"So you know him then?" asked the old woman.

"Yes," Rick answered. "He's my brother-in-law," Rick lied.

Evie looked to Rick in surprise. He elbowed her as a sign to play along.

"Er, yes. We were just going on our way to see his doctor to get a refill on his medication."

"What a great husband you have," the old lady said to Evie. "Most men would not take on the responsibilities of helping to care for in-laws. You two make such a handsome couple! The love between you two simply lights up the room. Well then, good day."

The old woman left the two of them alone. Rick and Evie stood frozen in place. Neither could look at the other, afraid of the feelings they would see in the other's eyes. They both felt very nervous with each other.

Rick broke the unnerving silence. "If you ask me, I think that old woman was the crazy one."

Evie stiffened next to him and let go of his arm.

"Yes. Simply raving mad," she said in an upset voice with her eyes flashing daggers at him.

She walked away at a fast pace towards Jonathan with her chin held high.

_Damn it_, Rick thought. Why the hell did he just say that? He'd have to remember to keep his mouth shut if he was ever feeling nervous again in Evie's company.

Joseph gave a sigh as he grudgingly went back to the task of getting rid of the pesky American.

"Sorry for the interruption. Just some old friends of the family." He made his way behind the desk and sat down. "Now as I was saying, this City of the Dead you speak of does not exist, nor does the legendary treasure. The stories were fabricated by locals as a marketing ploy to amuse tourists or to lure them into the desert in order to rob them and leave them to die."

"Well," said the man, "you're the expert. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I guess there's nothing left for me in Egypt, so I'll just pack up and head on home." He stood and extended his right hand. "Thank you for your time."

Dr. Bey stood and shook the man's hand. The door closed behind the pesky American and Dr. Bey fell back into chair with a sigh of relief.

"Well that was easy," he said to the empty room. _A little too easy_, he thought.

The man quickly made his way out of the museum. He knew his parting words weren't exactly convincing, but it was more important that he catch up with this Rick and Evelyn. He'd bet his greatest archeological finds that the woman had nearly mentioned Hamunaptra as the place she had insisted on going to.

They'd most likely be looking for a place to stay, he thought.

He headed for the main area of the city which would have the decent hotels put up for tourists. As he turned the corner, he spotted the group and quickly jumped back to hide behind the building. He glanced around the building and as they moved on, he followed, keeping as much distance as he could without losing them.

The third person he saw with them must be the brother that was mentioned back in the library. He didn't look like much of a threat. However, he'd have to watch out for O'Connell.

His best bet would be to talk to the woman, but he had to wait until she was alone. He watched her as she spoke in another language, one he spoke fluently as well, to a local man. She laughed and blushed prettily as the man flaunted over her, showering her with compliments and flowery words. She was a pretty little thing, he thought. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and frowned at himself for getting distracted. Why was it that most of the people he's had to deal with in his career were beautiful women? He looked to O'Connell, who was scowling and looked ready to knock some heads together. By Rick's reaction, the man concluded that he was most likely her husband. That thought helped him to keep his concentration since he was not the type to fool around with another man's wife.

Rick and Jonathan untied the bags as Evie paid the man to take care of the camels. She counted out the money, placing it in the man's hand, but the man stopped her from handing the rest over.

"No, no," he said in his language, pocketing the money then taking her hand. For you, my beautiful Lotus flower, I only charge half price." He kissed her hand.

Evie beamed at him, thanking him for his generosity and compliments. She had to yank her hand from his grasp as Rick shoved one of the bags of clothes at her.

Rick grabbed two of the treasure bags and threw them over his shoulders. Evie and Jonathan grabbed the third bag in one hand and the remaining bags of clothing and supplies in their other.

"What is your problem, O'Connell?" asked Evie.

"My problem? You're the one that's going to end up with a problem on your hands if you don't stop acting so friendly with men you don't know."

"For your information," said Evie sounding proud of herself, "I just got us a deal. He only charged us half his usual price."

"Yah? But don't be surprised if he expects something else from you to make up the difference."

Evie made her sound of annoyance and stopped in her tracks. "Is that right? For your information, not all men have a one track mind. And tell me, Mr. O'Connell," she said, putting an emphasis on his name, "what constitutes someone as a stranger? Perhaps a lack of knowledge of someone's past and background? Or perhaps the length of time you know them? In either case, that would mean I need to keep my distance from you as well!" she finished with a huff and continued in to the hotel, dragging Jonathan along.

"She's got you there, O'Connell," Jonathan said over his shoulder.

"Shove it, Carnahan."

The gold coins that Rick had given to the hotel manager had gotten them two of the best rooms in the place as well as a guarantee that they may stay however long they wished.

Jonathan had insisted on sharing a room with his sister. She'd get the bedroom and he would sleep on the couch in the main room. He claimed that it wouldn't be safe for Evelyn to be in a room by herself, but Evie knew it was because he wanted to keep an eye on her. She wouldn't be able to sneak out without him knowing, since he'd be sleeping so close to the door.

Evie was going over everything that had happened between herself and Rick while she unpacked. She heard him leave his room and she begin pacing, expecting him to knock at any moment in order to apologize. She was still rather angry at him and was going over what she'd say to him. After about an half hour of pacing, she realized that he would not be knocking and figured that he had left the hotel. After finishing up her unpacking, she sat down on a chair and stared out the window. It had now been about an hour since he'd left. Her anger had been replaced by sadness and her heart felt heavy.

Jonathan sat down in a chair opposite her, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Let me tell you a secret, Ol' Mum. When a man starts having feelings for a woman, he tends to act like a jackass at times and the most asinine things can come out of his mouth. It's as if we can't control ourselves. Then we spend a lot of time pondering why the devil we just did what we did or said what we said."

Evie raised her eyebrows and looked at Jonathan. His words had made her feel better, but now she was highly curious.

"How do you know that, Jonathan? In all my years, I cannot recall a time when you've spoken about any particular woman. In fact, I don't remember seeing you in the company of the same woman for more than a week's time."

Jonathan waved his hand to stop her thoughts from wandering in that direction. "I don't speak from experience. I, for one, have been able to keep my head and have not gotten my heart involved when it comes to women."

"Then how do you know that for a fact?"

"Well," Jonathan said, "father had a man-to-man talk with me a few months before we lost him. He told me all about the crazy mixed up emotions and drama. In fact," he said in a tone of someone who thought he was quite clever, "his talk helped me to remember to keep any emotions out of a relationship."

Evie now looked a little worried. What if all men did the same thing? "Jonathan, I don't think father intended for you to lock up your emotions. He was most likely giving you a heads up on what to expect. I'm sure he'd be sad to know that you have not experienced any of those things."

Jonathan looked as if he were really thinking that over. His pondering was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Ah, that will be the extra blanket and pillow," said Jonathan.

Evie faced the window once more and was immediately lost in thought over what Jonathan had just said. She was startled back into reality when a beautiful bouquet of flowers appeared in front of her face. Her heart beat quickened as she took the flowers and turned to face Rick. When their eyes met, butterflies took flight in her stomach.

Rick felt the same fluttering and thought he had maybe eaten something funny.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the chair. When she nodded, he sat down.

Evie looked at her brother who gave her the thumbs up. He sat down on his couch and picked up one of Evie's books on Egypt, pretending to be absorbed in its content.

Rick looked over his shoulder to see what Evie was looking at. He knew his chances of getting Jonathan to leave the room were slim to none. He'd just have to do what he came to do in his presence. He turned back to face Evie.

"Evelyn, I'm really sorry about the things I said."

Evie didn't say anything to that. She thought she'd make him sweat a little. She saw Jonathan peering over the book to see her reactions.

Rick did begin to sweat. He had spent more than an hour going over what he'd say to her and it all left his head as soon as he had looked at her. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Look, I know I've been a jackass."

Upon hearing that word, Jonathan pointed to Rick then tapped his nose as an "on the nose" sign. Evie bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Rick turned around quickly, but Jonathan appeared to be reading.

"And tell me, O'Connell," said Evie getting Rick's attention back, "why have you been acting in such a way?"

"Well," Rick said wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, "I'm still trying to figure that out."

At that, Jonathan began vigorously signaling. He pointed to Rick, then drew a heart in the air with his pointer finger, then pointed to Evie.

Rick saw Evie's eyes widen and a blush creep up her cheeks. He whipped around quickly and Jonathan threw his hand in the air as if he were stretching, throwing in a yawn for good measure. He then resumed looking at the book.

"From the bottom of my heart, Evelyn, I'm truly, honestly sorry. I'd really like to take you to dinner tonight so we can get to know each other better."

Jonathan started to clear his throat loudly.

Rick got the 'subtle' hint. "Of course, with your brother's permission."

Evie smiled. "I accept your apology and I'd love to have dinner with you. Just give me a couple of minutes to get ready."

"Until then." Rick kissed her hand and walked towards the couch. "Jonathan, may I have your permission to take your sister to dinner?"

Jonathan, still holding the book in one hand, rubbed his chin as if he were seriously thinking about it. "All right, I give you my permission. But have her back by eleven. And keep your hands to yourself. Oh, and-"

"Thank you," Rick interrupted through gritted teeth. "By the way," Rick grabbed the book, flipped it around, and put it back in Jonathan's hands, "you may get more out of it this way."

Jonathan reddened with embarrassment as Rick left the room. He had been holding the book upside down the whole time.

_A/N: Once again, sorry for the delay in updates. I've been extremely busy and I'm a slow writer, but I hope to give this story more attention! Please R&R (be nice & no flames!) as it motivates me to get my rear in gear!_


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